VOLUME 146, ISSUE 4 APRIL 2011
To Road Kings:
Hi Everyone,
Hope all is well. As of this month the car show committee has held two meetings and we are well underway with our car show plans. It is going to be a really great show and ia ton of fun this year, so don’t forget to sign-up for a job day of show.
Hey you guys, you need to check out our events and try to attend. We have some great things happening this year, so check it out! We are trying to update our Web page so if anybody is interested please contact Sue Baldaseroni for information.
Our meetings have been great at the Elks, and E board attendance is in full swing with most of the members attending. “Thanks a lot you guys, it means a lot to the board that you are making the effort and attending.”
Now that Daylight Savings Time is here, let’s get out our Club Cars and bring them to the meetings. We might cruise over to Bob’s for dessert in the future. By the way this month’s menu at the Elk’s is Hot Dogs, Chips and Beans. Bring your appetite and car.
To keep everyone updated, Don Hoffman is out of the hospital and doing well. He is already bored and tired of sitting around watching T.V. Sorry Ginger, he will be out of your hair soon.
HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
See you all soon.
Rick (Keep Crusin)
We had a great time cruisin’ down to the Marina. Everyone ate, drank and wallowed in the sun on the deck. I want to thank John Montgomery for the hospitality and for his time and energy to put on a spread for this group of misfits. “Thanks again John, it was much appreciated!”
Our next event is as follows:
April 9: Burbank on Parade. Remember to show up on Lincoln St for those participating. We have to lineup. If you haven’t received your window pass talk to Don.
HAVE FUN!
Frank Nay
I will be down and out for a few days, but rarin’ to go soon. I can tell everyone what is playing on what channel and at what time if anyone is interested. The television is now my office. Thank you for your calls and will see you soon.
Don Hoffman
Secretary
I want to thank Jim Gascoigne for all of his help for the Johnny Carson Car Show. Jim has collected funds to cover expenses for all awards. He has managed to pickup donations for our raffles and to get the message out that we are putting on our June show. Thank you Jim, and thank you for the tour of your garage. What a great place, especially when you want to hide out.
Chuck Stein
Treasurer
For the club members who ordered additional new style RK shirts, they will be available at the April meeting. If you did not pay the $35 please bring money. The four new RK Letterman jackets that were ordered are in production, and may be ready by the April meeting, if not they they will be available by the April E board meeting.
Ed Drogmund
Sergeant-At-Arms
APRIL SPOTLIGHT MEMBER
Road King Member of the Month
Larry Dixon Sr.
Larry Dixon Sr. has been a good friend for over 40 years. He started racing at San Fernando Drag Strip in 1957, running a green ’55 Chevy. He won his first trophy his first time out. In 1961, he stepped up to a Fiat Fuel Altered, running this car for a a short period of time. He had a accident at the San Fernando Drags, after which he built the “FIRESIDE INN” Modified Roadster which Sr. ran very successfully starting off with a S.B. Chevy. After a short period he switched over to a Chrysler Hemi.
In 1961, he drove the “HOWARD CAM RATTLER”, driving for “HOWARD CAMS” up and through 1963.
Larry worked for “ED PINK RACING ENGINES” from 1968 to 1972. During this period of time he and a good friend had a new top fuel car built with a 426 Hemi, built by Ed Pink. They had problems keeping it together. In 1970, “Howard Cams” recommended he run a big block Chevy in his dragster. He did, and won the Nationals at Pomona. His front engine dragster was built by Road King Roy Fjastad.
Through the years, Larry has run a few 1955 Chevys in various classes, from Stock to Super Charged, running well over 150 M.P.H.
In 1999, Larry was running a street roadster for a short period of time. After that he went into a Super-Charged Big Block Chevy on Alcohol. With this Altered, he ran the 7:00 second Bracket at speeds in the high 190 M.P.H. range. The car was in competition from 2002 to 2010.
His latest project is a Street Roadster with a big block Chevy, also Super-Charged. Larry drives it all around town as his day ride with his “Road King” plaque on the car for everyone to see. Sent in by Jim Miles
MARINA CRUISE
Most everyone met at the Road King Donut Shop before cruisin on down to the Marina for a food fest put on by our own John Montgomery. The traffic picked up once on the 405 but when we arrived parking was just waiting for our rides. Even the bartender parked his classic with the hood up, waiting for all of us to comment. Good Job!
Everyone thank John Montgomery for the fantastic spread. Subway platters were stuffed with an array of sandwiches, chips, salads and of course all the chilis and extras needed to keep the Road Kings happy.
Our past president and his lovely bride Ginny were celebrating their 51st anniversary. I’m still trying to figure that one out. How do you do it Ginny Rose. I bet you keep a bat handy to keep him in line. Mr. Romance and his gorgeous lady (Fast Eddie and Rita Salvatore) just returned from Palm Springs. Can you believe it, they rode the tram to the top of the mountain for dinner. I bet he screamed all the way back!
Again, thanks for a fantastic day at the Marina. It was great to relax with friends and family.
RACE REPORT
HELLO TO MY ROAD KING BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BEFORE I GET STARTED WITH THE RACE REPORT I WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS AND GALS THAT I GOT TO HANG WITH AT THE WINTER NATIONALS, WHAT A GREAT TIME I HAD, ALL THOUGH THE WEATHER COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER. MARCH 5TH AND 6TH I WENT TO PHOENIX AT SPEED WORLD RACE WAY AND RAN THE FIRST RACE OF THE HERITAGE SERIES. I STILL HAD SOME TIRE SHAKE ISSUES, BUT THE G.T.O. ALWAYS SEEMS TO QUALIFY WELL. I WAS #3 QUALIFIER AND MANAGED TO SLOW THE BEAST DOWN, NEAR THE INDEX OF 7.60 TO A REALLY GOOD 7.63. THE TIRE SHAKE GOT BETTER EVERY RUN, SO I NEW I WAS GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I AM GETTING VERY FAMILIAR WITH TUNING THE SHOCKS AND 4-LINK FOR DIFFERENT TRACK SURFACES AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. ANY WAY SUNDAY LOOKED EASY AS MY FIRST ROUND WAS A VETTE, THAT COULD NOT RUN BETTER THAN A 7.80 OR SO AND MY NEXT RUN WAS TO BE A BYE RUN. SO ALL I HAD TO DO WAS CUT A DECENT LIGHT AND ALL WOULD BE GOOD. I WENT 001 RED, SO MUCH FOR EASY ! NEXT RACE WAS THE WEEKEND OF THE 19TH AT BAKERSFIELD, THE MARCH MEET AND I ALWAYS SAY I’M NOT GOING TO RACE IN IT AS THE GASSER’S ARE TREATED LIKE THE RED HEADED STEPCHILD AT A PICNIC, ONLY GETTING 1 RUN A DAY IF WE ARE LUCKY. FRIDAY WAS AWESOME AS OUT OF A 27 CAR FIELD I WAS # 2 QUALIFIER WITH A 7.65 AND THIS BEING THE TOUGHEST A/GAS FIELD OF THE YEAR, THESE ARE THE BEST FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS DELIGHTED BECAUSE THEY ONLY TAKE THE TOP 16 CARS. SATURDAY WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE I FELT I HAD A FEE RUN, AS I WAS QUALIFIED SO WELL I MADE WHOLESALE CHANGES TO GET A HANDLE ON THIS TIRE SHAKE DILEMMA I HAVE HAD WITH THIS NEW COMBO. I STILL HAVE NEVER MADE A COMPLETE RUN EITHER GOING ALL OUT 7,2 @ 190 MPH OR THE INDEX OF 7.60 AROUND 180 MPH. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TIRE SHAKE WHERE I HAD TO LIFT . ANYWAY I MADE ABOUT 4 CHANGES AND THE GOOD NEWS IS NO TIRE SHAKE ON THIS LAST QUALIFIER, BUT NOW A WHEEL STAND I WAS NOT READY FOR. SO I HAD TO LIFT A LITTLE AND SLOWED TO A 7.75@182.NOW I AM QUALIFIED IN THE 4TH POSITION, BUT NO RACING ON RACE DAY, 40 TO 50 MPH WIND RAIN AND SNOW ON THE WAY HOME. YOU CAN ALL WATCH THE FINALS ON YOUR COMPUTERS SAT MAR 26 ON WWW.BANG SHIFT.COM. A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FRIEND STAN DALTON FOR HELPING ME AT THE MARCH MEET AND EVEN MORE THANKS TO BOTH STAN AND SHARON DALTON FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND LIMITED SPONSORSHIP ON MY CAR, THEY ARE THE GREATEST FRIENDS A GUY COULD ASK FOR! I WENT BACK TO BAKERSFIELD TO FINISH THE MARCH MEET, AS IT WAS POSTPONED TO MARCH 26, SAT. AFTER A SLIGHT RAIN DELAY I RACED MY FIRST ROUND OF A/GAS ELIMINATIONS, AND HAD NO PROBLEMS IN ROUND 1. RAN AN EASY 7.63 @182 TO KEEP WITH 7.60 INDEX. NEXT ROUND WAS AGAINST MY FRIEND CRIS IN A NEAT LOOKING BLOWN HENRY J. I HAD DESCENT LIGHT .040 TO HIS .076 AND IT WAS A GREAT RACE, I PULLED HIM HARD ALL THE WAY DOWN THE TRACK AND AS I APPROACHED THE FINISH LINE I KNEW I WAS TO FAR AHEAD SO I HIT THE BRAKES AND STAYED AHEAD SO I JUST KNEW I MUST HAVE WON. WHEN I GOT MY TIME SLIP MY SMILE WENT AWAY AS I HAD NOT GOT ON THE BRAKES SOON ENOUGH, AS I RAN A 7.59@ 160 MPH. SECOND RACE IN TWO WEEKS I LOST BY A THOUSANDTH OF A SECOND.MY HENRY J BUDDY JUST HAD A BAD LIGHT FOR HIM AND HAD SLOWED TO A 7.68, BUT DURING THE RUN YOU DON’T KNOW UNTIL IT’S TO LATE. AT THE SPEED THESE CARS ACCELERATE YOU JUST DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO DECIDE THINGS, YOUR KINDA HANGING ON AND HOPE TO STAY IN YOUR LANE AND THEN GET THIS ROCKET TO STOP RUBBER SIDE DOWN! I AM HOPING FOR A BETTER RACE IN TWO WEEKS HAPPY MOTORING GANG AL WHITE
Larry Dixon, Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel Dragster (silver)
Qualifying: Larry Dixon was the No. 1 qualifier at the Summittracing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. It was his second No. 1 qualifier in three races this season and the 50th of his career. During the second qualifying session on Friday, Dixon recorded a 3.904-second pass at 312.78 mph.
Eliminations: Dixon defeated Steve Torrence before Doug Kalitta upset him in the second round of eliminations.
Unofficial Point Standings: Dixon remains fourth in the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel point standings. He trails third-place Tony Schumacher by 14 points and leads fifth-place Spencer Massey by 17 points.
Dixon on Las Vegas: “Jason (crew chief Jason McCulloch) and the team went up there to run a 3.92, and for one reason or another, it slowed down from that, ran a 3.95 and we lost the race. It wasn’t a good representation of how good our Al-Anabi team is. It just wasn’t our weekend. We’ll go back to the shop, rub on our hot rod and get ready for Charlotte.”
Next Race: The Al-Anabi Racing team will be back in action April 15-17, 2011 at the second annual Visitmytrlebeach.com NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C. For additional information, please visit www.nhra.com. For additional information on the Al-Anabi Racing Team, please visit www.alanabiracing.com.
